Jailed Peace Activist Abdulkarim Ali Calls for Prayer, Not Judgment, for Brenda Biya

Cameroonian Muslim scholar, peace activist and human rights defender Abdulkarim Ali has appealed to Cameroonians to show compassion towards Brenda Biya, saying she should not be condemned for the actions of her father or the family into which she was born.

Ali is currently detained at Kondengui Central Prison in Yaoundé. He was arrested in Bamenda in August 2022 after publicly denouncing alleged abuses committed against civilians during Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict. In April 2025, a military court sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges including hostility against the fatherland and secession—a conviction Amnesty International described as an affront to justice.

In a letter dated July 12, 2026, Ali said he was speaking not as a politician, but as a father and brother concerned about the psychological distress Brenda has repeatedly expressed publicly.

“Today is Sunday, and I speak as a father who truly has a daughter and a brother who truly has sisters,” he wrote from prison. “With that heart, I speak with a heavy but hopeful heart concerning Brenda Biya.”

He opened the letter with a passage from Psalm 49:7: “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life.”

‘She Did Not Choose to Be the Daughter of a Dictator’

Ali described Brenda as “an intelligent child with an unfortunate predicate,” arguing that she should not be forced to carry burdens arising from circumstances over which she had no control.

“No young woman should have to carry burdens that were never hers to choose,” he wrote.

“Brenda can’t be blamed for being the daughter of a dictator. She didn’t choose to be. And time and time again, she has demonstrated that she would choose otherwise if given the choice.”

Ali said Brenda had spent years publicly expressing distress over her treatment and personal circumstances.

“For close to a decade, Brenda has announced her maltreatment, threats, frustration and desperation to the general public,” he said. “Most recently, she has spoken publicly about thoughts of suicide.”

‘A Child Does Not Inherit Condemnation’

Quoting both the Qur’an and the Bible, Ali argued that every person is individually accountable before God and that children should not be condemned for the actions of their parents.

He cited Qur’an 4:29: “And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.”

He also quoted Ezekiel 18:20-21: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father… But if a wicked person turns from all his sins… he shall surely live.”

“This means we are each accountable for our own life before God,” Ali explained. “A child does not inherit condemnation for the actions of parents. Let us reject any narrative that suggests otherwise.”

He also invoked the words of French writer Victor Hugo: “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

‘This Is a Human Soul in Pain’

Ali insisted that his intervention should not be interpreted as a political statement or an endorsement of Brenda’s father, President Paul Biya.

“This is not politics. This is a human soul in pain,” he wrote.

Addressing Brenda directly, he added: “Brenda, you are seen. You are valued. You are loved beyond what any headline can say. Your life matters, and there is still hope and healing ahead for you.”

Appeal to Cameroonians and People of Goodwill

Ali called on Southern Cameroonians, Cameroonians elsewhere and people of goodwill to put aside political differences and pray for Brenda and other girls facing psychological distress.

“To Southern Camerounians, to Camerounians everywhere, and to all people of goodwill: I ask that we pause and pray for the poor girl, and for all our sisters and children,” he said.

“No girl should be subjected to such spiritual and psychological torture. What she needs now is not judgment, but prayer, compassion, and people around her who will remind her that her life is precious and that healing is possible.”

He called for prayers for Brenda’s safety, emotional well-being and recovery.

“I call on all of us to lift Brenda up in prayer,” Ali wrote. “Pray for her peace of mind, for protection over her life, for strength, and for God’s comfort to surround her.”

He concluded: “May God grant her peace, healing, protection, and a future full of hope. And may He grant us the grace to choose mercy over judgment. Ameen!”

MMI News